Every bride wants the best photos of her wedding day. To have and cherish for years. Knowing your portraits are going to turn out great, will let your breathe a huge sigh of relief! I discuss some great ways to avoid stress on your wedding day in my previous post. photographer should be chosen after careful decision. I chose mine, because he was the same guy who had done my mother's wedding, my aunt's wedding, and my cousin's wedding. I didn't even look at other options! Not great on my part, but hey, I wasn't thinking straight sixteen years ago. I was in love and silly, and just wanted to be married. Looking back I would have like to taken a lot of my advice now. Not about choosing a husband, I still like him! Since I can't change my wedding. I thought I would help you. I'm not knocking the photographer that we had. He's a very talented photographer. I am just advising you to make your decision carefully, weigh your options. Find a photographer that you are comfortable with when it comes to investment, services offered and someone who's style you like.

There is a lot of information out there to tell you how to choose a photographer. I want to share what to do on your wedding day to ensure that you end up with the best shots you can. I didn't even think of these things way back when!

Communicate with your photographer. TALK to them. Don't wait till the last minute either because you'll be stressed and busy and won't have time. If there are specific shots you want, tell your photographer. She won't know that you want a picture of you and Aunt Millie with your bouquet because the ribbons and lace came from her wedding dress unless you tell her. Heck, she probably won't really know who Aunt Millie IS until after the whole thing is over, unless you tell her.

Give your photographer a rundown of the whole day. Specifics of the schedule of events. The ceremony will go quickly as a general rule and if you are going to be moving from place to place, the photographer needs to know. They can decide where the best place is for them to get the best shots. Remember, a lot of venues will limit where the photographer can have access, limit the use of flash or even limit taking pictures during certain times during the ceremony. The photographer should be aware of the limitations and discuss options with you.

Remember, that many of the posed shots can be recreated. Mom may be chasing the ring bearer down or discussing details with the director when you are getting ready. A traditional shot with her helping place your veil or fasten your pearls is easily recreated. Don't fret and stress, a calm capable photographer will get that shot when the time is right.

Remember that many of the portraits and specialty shots you see on Pinterest and in glossy happily ever after magazines where every bride spends $80,000 on their wedding and all have couture gowns that cost more than my first care, are staged after the fact or well before the wedding. The perfect artsy shot takes time to prepare. More than likely more than you will have on your wedding day. There is nothing wrong with getting all Cinderella'd up another day to get some of those beautiful shots. Discuss the shots you want with your photographer and let them have input on what is realistic the day of your wedding. That way there aren't expectations that can't or won't be met! Plus taking the extra time for a lot of those shots will result in hungry impatient guests, bridesmaids that have lost their glitsy bedazzeled shoes before you get to the reception and nobody left to watch your first dance. Okay, maybe not that bad, but you get the drift, right?

Allowing ample time for pictures is mucho importante. Okay, you can tell I did not take Spanish. The gist is, determine what posed shots you want prior to the day, (a good photographer can help make suggestions), take as many pics as you can pre-ceremony. This will quicken the transition between the ceremony and reception. Quick tip. Hungry groom = grumpy groom. Grumpy groom = not happy with picture taking groom.

Have something to entertain Great Aunt Bessie and Uncle Bud. The guests do not need to be milling around, interrupting your portrait session between the ceremony and reception. Have an hor'deurve event, serve drinks or even start the buffet. But family and friends that are not in the post session pictures should not be in the area. This may sound harsh, but it's the honest truth. Unless you want Great Aunt Bessie's arming a shot, and her flash messing up the pictures you have probably already paid for, they need to be entertained elsewhere during your session. Your photographer may even include this in the contract.

Think about the final pictures you want. Do you really want a picture of you as each individual bridesmaid? Or you with the soloist and pianist? Professional time as portraits can be pricey. So if you really aren't going to display them, frame them, or put them in your album, why spend the extra time and money on certain shots. Save it for the shot with you and Aunt Millie and the special bouquet! PS make sure mom and the MIL, tell you what shots they want. You definitely want to start out on the right foot!

Lighting, lighting, lighting...... candlelit ceremonies are very pretty and romantic. Until great uncle Bud starts snoring and you get you dark grainy portraits back, because the church didn't allow flash and told the photographer they had to stand all the way in the back. (Some venues have funky restrictions that the photographer has to comply with). That being said, think about this ahead of time when choosing your venue. Adequate lighting will enhance your portraits. This also applies to the reception. Not only does help keep great aunt Bessie from tripping on the DJ's electrical cords, but helps enhance your portraits! Yes, a good photographer can adjust for lighting, but often venue restriction preclude additional lighting for safety reasons or just physical limitations.

Probably the most important tip of all......relax, smile (a lot) laugh and have fun. This is your day, you should be happy and in love. Stress and fatigue are kind of hard to edit out of a picture, but smiles, laughter and love shine through!

What tips do you have for getting great pictures on your wedding day? Feel free to share them!

I have been around weddings. A LOT of weddings. From dropping petals as a flower girl, (and yes, I can remember being embarrassed when the bride and groom kissed!) to bridesmaid, bride, cake baker, directing, photographer and as a bride. Through all of this I have noticed a thing or two. Or three. Or eleven. Most of the time brides are stressed and worried over every little detail. And believe me, if you think you won't be THAT bride, then think again. You will be exactly that bride. You have worked hard up until this day to have everything just the way you want it, because let's be real, if you're not hoping this will be the only time your doing this, then you might want to reconsider your options. So here you are, you have worked tirelessly, for months or even a year or more, to pick just the right flowers, colors, dress, shoes, food, church, and reception hall. You have probably begged and pleaded for the groom to finalize his guest list, pick his groomsmen, pick his tux and to pahleese, tell his Uncle Ernie, that he can NOT bring his hunting dog as his +1. You have reached this big day with anticipation and full of glee. (The emotion, not the TV show.) These are just the tips I have come up with. But I can tell you none of them will hurt you or taste bad. I am sure as time goes on I will add to this list. But, here is what I have compiled so far.

Do Not, I repeat DO NOT, have your bachelorette and bachelor party the night before your wedding. This is a sure fire way to have dark circles under your eyes, a sickly pallor to your skin, and basically feel like crap on your wedding day. It will also mean you are tired, over emotional, grumpy and not a pleasant person to be around. Yes, I mean you. I have seen too many brides end up in tears because they snapped at their mother, the maid of honor is ready to mutiny, and she's about to make the preacher cuss!

Doget a good nights sleep the night before. Allow yourself rest. You have a big day ahead of you, that will be all about you. You want to be rested and relaxed to enjoy the festivities and be able to remember the day for year to come.

Do Not expect everything to fall into place exactly as you planned. No matter how many times you tell someone something and how you want it done. Life happens. There will be a bow forgotten here, a ribbon forgotten there, and there may be a candle left unlit. If at the end of the day, the rings are on and the marriage license signed, then guess what the goal was achieved.

Do expect hiccups. You will probably forget something at home. A bridesmaid may lose an earring. And gee whiz, if you are having kids in or at your wedding. expect tears, a little whining, maybe a tantrum. The ring bearers will swing the pillows and pick their noses. I know this from my wedding. They may lift your train, step on it, or call out to mom and dad. I had one flower girl that would not go down the aisle, and wouldn't do pictures without her pacifier. If this kind of thing is going to bother you, then don't have children in your wedding. PERIOD. Because it WILL happen. You may not see it, but it will happen.

Do Not expect to do everything that day. You will not have time to make sure the decorations are perfect, the bridesmaids are dressed, the cake is ready, and that the napkins are stacked in alternating colors exactly 1/3 of in inch on diameter, and center spaced on the cake table.

Do Have a runner. A friend who is not in the wedding and has no other responsibility than to check on things for you. Someone you can send to check on things or find things, or carry a message to your planner or director.

Do Not wait until the rehearsal to tell friends who the maid of honor is or who is standing right next to the bride. Prepare people in plenty of time to explain your motives and avoid hurt feelings and tears at the rehearsal dinner, temper flares before the wedding and just a general atmosphere of hurt feelings.

Do remember that your friends and family love you. They are trying hard to make this a special day for you and may be tired and a little stressed, too. Cut them some slack and they may cut you some too.

Do have an emergency bag. Safety pins, acetaminophen, clear nail polish, garment tape, and crazy glue; whatever you can imaging you or one of your bridesmaids would need, because you may need it!

Do talk to your photographer weeks in advance. Give them a timeline of the events, they need almost just as much information about the timeline as the event planner/director. If the photographer doesn't know when things are happening, you can't expect to have it captured in an image. Most photographers have a really good idea of how weddings progress and what happens when, but if you don't tell them that you are going to take time to visit with friends in a reception line before taking pictures, they may be setting up for wedding party shots instead of getting you in the reception line with your guests. More in a later blog

Do breathe , relax, and enjoy your day. The ultimate goal is to marry your true love and spend the rest of your life together. If at the end of the day you are Mrs. Prince Charming, then the goal was met. It doesn't matter, that the flower girl ate the petals, lost the basket, and vomited in front of the church. Ok, I made that one up, but I can imagine it happening!

JenniLeigh

Wife, daughter, aunt, nurse, biker chic, aspiring photographer, pretend gourmet chef. That's me! I'm living the Just Peachy Life. This Blog will now be more dedicated to photography and the art form that speaks to me the most. I am moving the lifestyle and home-life posts to the Living the Just Peachy Life Blog to separate the two! Read more about me and _Living the Just Peachy Life!